Improvement in clothes-driers



UNITED STATES PATENT CFFIGE.

JAMESP. HOWELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AssIeNoE T0 RUFUS M. STIVERS,

OF SAME PLACE.

lMPR OVE MENT IN CLOTHES-DRIERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No- 181,442, dated August 22, 1876; application filed February 9, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES P. HOWELL, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Racks for Clothes and other articles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification.

This invention consists in a rack of novel construction, suitable either for domestic or store use, and designed more particularly for drying clothes; also, hanging or exhibiting cloths and garments, said rack being made capable of suspension against a wall or elsewhere, and being composed of posts, hinged bars, and rails, which admit of the rack being used either in a flat or closed position against the wall or in an inclined and spreadout position, as regards certain of its rails, and of being readily put together or taken apart and packed away in a small compass.

A rack constructed in accordance with this invention combines, too, economy of construction with numerous facilities and conveniences.

Figure 1 represents a view in perspective, as' seen from the front of a clothes-rack embodying my invention, when the same is spread out or extended; Fig. 2, a transverse section of said rack in a closed condition;

Fig. 3, a face view of one of the posts and hinged bars which carries the rails; Fig. 4, a side view of the same; and Fig. 5, face views of the rails detached.

A A are what I term the postsof the rack. These posts, of which there may be any number, are detached one from the other, and are provided at their upper ends with eyes I), or other means of suspension by hooks, nails, or screws, and are constructed with sockets eat their lower ends to receive and carry within them a lower rail, B, which may be secured to its place when inserted by sliding lockingplates 0 and whereby said rail may be readily detached when required. Hooks 01 may be arranged at suitable distances apart along the railB. Hinged to the fronts of the posts A near their upper ends, as at c, are bars 0 O, which have oblique and downwardly-inclining slots f open in front cut in them, to receive a series of rails, D, arranged one above the other, and which are simply dropped to their places in the oblique slots f of theposts,

so that they, too, may be readily detached, yetare secure when in their places. These rails D extend between or through the hinged bars 0, and form in connection with the latter a hinged or falling leaf of rails, which may either be shut down against the posts, as shown in Fig. 2, or be set out to occupy an inclined position, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

When set or spread out, said leaf of rails.

may be held extended by means of braces F, hinged to the bars 0, and resting in a firm but detachable manner at their free ends, which may be hook-shaped in sockets or notches gin the faces of the posts A. Said braces shut up within recesses h in the hinged bars 0, when the leaf of rails is closed down on the posts.

The bottom rail B may be used for suspending clothes or other articles on its hooks, both when the rack is closed and extended, as also to a limited extent may the rails D but these latter rails not as conveniently so when the rack is closed, as when its hinged leaf of upper rails is set out to occupy an inclined position, inasmuch as the rails D, when set out, are then sufficiently out of vertical planes with each other to afford room for arranging the clothes or other articles on or over them without interference or contact-of the goods with each other.

This rack may be used either for drying,

hanging, or exhibiting purposes generally, is

cheaper of construction, and maybe readily put together or stowed away; likewise, when in use, and the leaf of rails is let down, it shuts close up against the wall or support on which it is suspended.

I claim--- 1. The combination, with the posts A, provided with lower socketsc,offthe rail B, fitted to enter within or through said sockets, and provided with projections or hooks D, substantially. as specified. I

2. A rack for clothes and other composed of posts A, having a lower rail, B, and a hinged leaf of rails, consisting of hinged bars 0, braces F, and rails D, cssentially'as described.

J. P. HOWELL.

Witnesses FRED. HAYNES, (BENJAMIN W. HOFFMAN.

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